Fire escape



May 25 1926. 7 1,586,424

B. GILOWITZ FIRE ESCAPE Filed Feb. 2l 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 awe/M30:

attowzgo May 25 Filed Feb. 21,- 925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ,2 A 41 0 6 a a p. n i l 1|lllrlll/ L A l a W w J 3 J I J a w MW J da .lllu T .llli/ L iL I ..r.l.l.l..W.

Patented May 25, 1926.

umrsn sra'res arsarorrica.

BENJAMIN GILOWITZ, OF NEW YQRK,

n. Y., Assienonor ONE-HALF ro HARRY GOLDSTEIN' ANDONE-HALF T0 HARRY AROHSTAM, BOTH OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE nsoarn.

Application filed February 21, 1925. Serial m. 10,914.

My invention relates to improvements in fire escapes of the type which includes a carriage mounted to descend at the exterior of a building so that in case of fire, the occupants of upper stories may readily lower themselves tosafety. i

It is the object of the invention to provide a rather simple and inexpensive, yet a very reliable fire escape, which may be easily con hand brake shown in trolled, unique braking means being provided whereby the carriage may be caused to descend either slowly or rapidly, as occasion may demand.

\Vith the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of a building, showing a side elevation of one form of the invention associated with such building.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view asindicated by line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig.1. 1

Figure 4 is a further enlarged, detail vertical section on. line Jrl of Fig. 8.

Figure 5' is a detail side elevation on an enlarged scale showing one of, the hand brakes.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of the Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a detail horizontal section on line 7-7 of Fig. 6. v I

Figure 8 1s a view similar to Fig, 1 but showing a simplified construction.

Figure 9 is an outer'side elevation of the device shown in S, a portion of the carriagebeing in section.

Figure 10 is a detail horizontal sectional view on line 10 -10 of Fig. 9.

Figure 11 is a side elevation showing a still further form of construction.

Figure line 12*12 of Fig. 11. p

In the form of construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, the numeral 1 designates a carriage-which is preferably in the form of a platform, which platform may well be pro vided with a rail 2 which prevents the occupants from accidentallyfalling therefrom. The platform may be mounted in any desired manner for vertical movement. In the present showing, the inner corners are a pair [building B, and for releasing 12 is a. vertical sectional view'on formed with openings which slidably receive of stationary vertical rods 3, while similar rods l (two in number) pass through openings near the central portion of the platform, the upper and lower ends of all of the rodsbeing anchored in any desired manner at the exterior of a building B. i

7 Near the openings which receive therods 4-, the platform 1 is formed with a relatively large opening 5 which slidably receives a central, vertical bar 6 whose upper and lower ends are suitably anchored. At spaced point-s, notches 7 have been shown in the bar 6, the lower ends of said notches constituting shoulders which co-act with the upper ends 8 of a pair of latch arms 9.v These arms are formed prefer bly of resilient material and they are secured at their lower ends to a pair of horizontal foot levers 10 which are spaced a slight distance above the platform 1, are disposed at opposite sides of the b21126, and have their inner ends fulcrumed on horizontal axesjll, to appropriate brackets 12 which are secured to the platform. Appropriate springs 13 of any desired form normally shift the foot levers 1O upwardly, so that as the platform is raised, the ends 8 of the latch arms 9 will successively engage the notclfes 7, permitting the platform to be locked at any desired floor of the building. In order to further support the platform'at any desired floor, appropriate projectible and retractible stops 161 may well be carried by the wall of the the latches from the ground, so that the platform may be pulled downwardly to any desired'projected stop 14, cables, ropes orchains 15 may be connected with the latch arms 9, said cables preferably passing through openings 16 in the lovers 10-andplatform'1;

The levers 10 are provided with extensions 17 which are rigidly secured thereto and decline toward the bar 6, the inner extremities of these extensions, indicated at 18, being normally spaced outwardly from said bar 6.

They are however intended to move into I frictional contact with the bar when the levers 10 are depressed to release the latches from the notches 7, so that a braking action maybe efl'ectedto assist in checking the descent of the carriage. Preferably, the extensions 17 are provided with fingers 19 which project beyond the braking surfaces 18 and straddle the bar 6, to overcome any i ator of the device stands possibility of said extensions being laterally displaced.

For returning the carriage to a raised positiona after each. descentithereof, I have provided. acable or the-like :20 whichis connected at one end to said carriage, is connected at its other end to a weight 21, and has its intermediate portion trained over appropriate sheaves 22. If desired, the weight 21 may be guided by a vertical track 23.

To assist in checking the speed at which the carriagedescends, Iprovide a pair of handbrak'es 2% which are in the nature of sleeves-slidable upon the rods 4,01 if desired upon cables which could be substituted for these rods. These handbrakes are contractible about therods or the like 4 and they have some adeq rate connection 24 with. the carriage or platform 1, so that when an operupon the levers 10 to control the latter, he grasps the brakes 24 in his hands and mayrthus contract them about the rods 4, so that the desired amount of braking power may be applied, according to ,theload on theplatform or carriage. In the present showing, comprises a plurality of segmental sections 25 whiclrare surrounded bya flexible sleeve 26'which sleeve may .well be disposed in a groove 27 in the exterior of the sleeve formed by said segments, so that said sleeve 26 is held against vertical movement with respect to said. segments. Simply by gripping the sleeve 26, the brake is effectively contracted around therod or the like 4, to'exert a'frictional braking action thereon.

In the construction illustrated,,cablesi28 are connected to thehand brakes 24, are

trained over-sheaves 29 at 'theupper end ofthe carriage-guiding means, and at 30 are connected with the weight 21,: and .asthis weight :is. in ..turn connectedfwith' the carriage or platform 1,..by the cable .or the like 20,.itwill be seen that .said hand brakes 24 will moveverticallywith said platform or.

carriage.

Normally, the platformor carriage 1 stands at rest at .thetop floor, but may ibe lowered to: any desired floor and checked by the stop l l. iVhen the carriage :is at rest at any story, the latches 89 engage the notches 7 at said story and the. stop 14 is projected. Thus, a number of people" may leave the building and stand onthe platform or carriage without any dangerof immediate descent of the latter. Then, the stop 1% is released and some person skilled in the-opera tion of the device, will stand upon the levers l0 and grip the hand brakes 2-1 in his hands. Byshifting his weight outwardly along the levers 10 to the proper extent, the action of the springslS may be overcome and thus thelatches-released from the notchesl', so that descent of the carriage will take place. During this descent, by squeezing the hand as well as slidably ene' each hand 'brake 24L cends, and either or both of the brakes 24 to a greater or lesser extent, and by shifting his WCl ht In themore simple construction iliustrated in Figs. 8, Sand 10, two stationary, vertical guiderods 4 are provided which serve as guidinganeans for a carriage or platform 1, aging a pair of hand be considered as identical with the brakes 24. 'lVhile these hand brakes may be connected with thecarriage 1 by any suitable means, coil springs 28 have been shown for this purpose. .Preferably, the brakes 24 are connected by a cross bar 31, to which cables 20 said cables being trained over sheaves 22 and being connected with a weight 21 which serves to. raise the carriage, after. each descent thereof. I have shown a hook '32 on the cross bar 31, engageable with at the upper end of the carriage guiding means so that the carriage maybe releasably held in raised position. Whenever a person brakes 2% which may stands upon the carriage however,releases the,

hook 32,and contracts the brake sleeves 24 upon the rods or the liked, he may descend to safety.

In the construction CliSClOSGClIlIl Fi spll and 12,- two pairs of guide rods 4 are s and carriages 1 are slidable along the same, said carriages being connected by springs or the like 28 with'hand brakes 24*, similar to the brakes before described. Each pairof these brakes 24 may well be connected .by a cross bar 31 and the cross bar of onepair of brakes is connected with the bar of the other pair, by a cable 2O which is'trained oversheaves 22 By this arran 'ement, when one carriage descends, the"ot IGF'QS- carriages may be held in raised positionby hooks 32 engageable with eyes33 As good results may be obtained-from the details .of construction disclosed, theymay wellbe followed. of the invention as claimed, modifications may of coursebe made.

I claim:

1. 'Afire escape comprisinga vertical stationarily mounted bar,'a pair of stationary verti'calrods adjacent said bar, a carriage mounted for vertical movement along said bar. and rods, a pairof depressible members mounted on the carriage .at the opposite sides of said bar and adapted to support the to'pioperly control the 5- maybe attached,

an eye 33" However, within-the scope own,

weight of an operator when he stands on said members, means for normally holding the carriage against descent, said means being co-operable with aforesaid bar and being operatively connected with said depressible members to be released by depression of the latter, braking means for thecarriage operatively connected with said depressible members and adapted to be brought into play by depression of said members, and a pair of contractible sleeves movable with the carriage and slidable upon the aforesaid rods, said sleeves serving as hand grips to permit the operator to stand in a vertical position upon the aforesaid depressible members and acting also as friction brakes when contracted upon the rods.

52. A fire escape comprising a carriage having a pair of spaced openings from its upper to its lower side, a pair of stationary vertical rods passing through said openings to guide the carriage, contractible sleeves slidably surrounding said vertical rods at points spaced above the carriage, said} sleeves having sutlicient connection with said carriage to move therewith and being adapted to be gripped by an occupant of the carriage and contracted upon the rods, whereby to frictionally brake the descent of said carriage.

3. A fire escape comprising a stationary vertical bar provided with a stop shoulder,

a carriage mounted for movement along said bar, a foot lever mounted on the carriage at one side of said bar, and a latch of the foot lever, said lever having a braking portion adapted tofrictionally engage the bar when said lever is depressed.

4. A structure as specified in claim 3 said braking portion of said lever comprising an arm declining from the body of the lever toward the vertical bar and having its lower end normally spaced outwardly from said bar, said lower end being engageable with the bar when the lever is depressed and having' fingers straddling the bar to prevent lateral displacement ofthe arm.

5. A fire escape comprising a stationary vertical bar provided with a stop shoulder, a carriage mounted for movement along said bar, a depressible foot-operated member mounted on the carriage,'means for normally holding the carriage against descent, said means being co-operable with said bar and connected with said depressible member to be released by depression of the latter, and braking means also co-operable with said bar, said braking means being operatively'connected with said depressible member to be operated by depression thereof.

In testimony whereot Ihave hereunto aflixed my signature.

BENJAMIN GILOWITZ. 

